Thursday, 29 November, 2012

In an extraordinary display of mental and physical strength, Dr. Catherine Todd, Assistant Professor at UOWD, ran nonstop from Dubai to Fujairah in a Coast to Coast challenge.Dr. Todd set off from Lime Café in Jumeirah at 1am on Thursday, November 15, and reached the Le Meridian Al Aqah Beach resort Friday morning at 6.30am, covering the 220km distance in 29 hours and 29 minutes.“The conditions were pretty harsh. I was still around 20 kilometres from my destination when I developed blisters on the little toe of my right foot. It was quite painful so I cut a hole in my shoe and ran the remaining distance with my toe sticking out of the shoe hole,” recalled Dr. Todd, who teaches computer science at UOWD by day and uses her spare time to fulfill her most cherished hobby - long distance running.Her friends took turns keeping her company during the run. “They tailed me in their cars and often jogged alongside, supplying me with a steady stream of electrolyte drinks and water.”After reaching the Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort which had organised the challenge, Dr. Todd slept for 13 hours straight. “I was suffering from sleep deprivation and needed to rest. A bemused Egyptian woman who saw me running as she drove past me later came over to the hotel to meet me,” she said.Funds raised from the charity event will go to help children in Africa. Over 200 people took part in the challenge. But unlike Todd, everybody else used cycles to cover the distance.The ultra-runner, who once did 120km, running circles around Mushrif Park, now has her sights set on another challenge: a long distance run in the US next year. She said: “I don’t do it for money or anything. I run for the love of it.” Read more